The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-16
Our Letter from GilderOy.

1t has been too hot for anything.
The nights are cooler now and longer
too. blessed is the man who invent
ed Sleep" What restorer of vital
powers it is. When I want a good
nights rest I let supper alone, terribly
alone, and then sleep, deep, sweet, re-
freshing sleep comes down all over me
and locks me in its arms all night
long. 1 get up refreshed, renewed, in
vigorated. There is no bad taste in
my mouth, no dullness in my head,
no soreness, no sourness in my stom-
ach. Supper is death to most dyspep-
tics. 1t drives sleep away from the
eyes and slumber from the eye lids.
Supper and sleep will not 60 together
in my case. I see many others who
lose sleep from too much supper. They
take this, that and the other drug for
nerve or heart disease, as I used to do,
but the whole trouble comes of having
put the stomach on o strain. Give it
rest. If you must eat and will eat, do,
for your "stomach's sake" eat but lit
tie, and let that be very light-as light
as popcorn, or lighter if you can.
Eating is, after all, largely, a habit.
More people kill themselves from
:stuffing" than ever starve to death.
Preachers are particularly liable to sin
along this line. They eat too much,
too often, at too many places, too rich
food and too many condiments.
Brethren don't for the love of Christ,
don't let the good sisters kill you.
They'll do it, dead sure, if you give
them half q chance. They'll make
you eat yourself to death. They mean
it for goodness, but it will prove dan
gerous and delusive snare, if not
death, if you yield to them. Keep a
tight grip Oh your appetite as you 60
round from house. There is potb
health and grace in eating little there
is to most men, particularly to dyspep'
tic men.
The character of the sermon depend.
largely OH the state of the digestion
This is fact. Many of the scoldings
the church has got because the preachs
er's stomach was out of tune. I've
been there, I know how it is. l cal
tell the state of some mems digestion
when I hear them preach. 1t Is 8
nervous, bitter, vicious, growing kind
of people, a gospel that Kills, but does
not make alive. There is more tongue
and temper than grace in it. 1t does
not commend Christ, does not show o
Christian spirit in the preacher. There
is an inordinate propensity to rebuke
people, publicly, for little things. Nc
good comes of this. 1t does harm
more harm than good. The occasions
that justify public rebuke now are few
and far between. I knew one man, q
strong man too, who was absolutely
terrific on rebukes at night service al
ter eating hearty supper. An ofhcel
of his church asked me: "What on
earth makes our preacher do these un'
lovely things" "Too much supper
too much supper" was my reply. He
was more favorable to the people at
eleven A. M. generally. The process
of digestion was we'll advanced. A
long walk and fresh air had put the
preacher in gracious mood.
| A lady sent to me not long ago
"Our pastor is a holy man, fine preach
er. and we are devoted to him, but al
times he seems to be out of sorts, he
scolds the church, thinks everything
is wrong and that nobody is doing
right. What do you suppose makes
him do that way?" impaired diges
tion," / replied. "Well," said she
"he is confirmed dysteptic." "Well
my sister, you will have to bear will
him, pray for him and be patient witt
him, for he will have these unloveIy
spells, those moods, when he will dc
those unlovely things, involuntarily
and, perhaps, unconsciously to him
self. They are infirmities, physica
weaknesses, FOR which your pastor !:
not morally responsible. unless, in
deed, he brought them upon hlmsel
by voluntary sin. I've yet to see
man or woman wholly free from III
trinity of one kind or another"
Yours, GILDEROY.